Abstract

Recent experimental and theoretical work has focused on ferromagnetic nanotubes due to their potential applications as magnetic sensors or as elements in high-density magnetic memory. The possible presence of magnetic vortex states—states which produce no stray fields—makes these structures particularly promising as storage devices. Here we investigate the behavior of the magnetization states in individual Ni nanotubes by sensitive cantilever magnetometry. Magnetometry measurements are carried out in the three major orientations, revealing the presence of different stable magnetic states. The observed behavior is well-described by a model based on the presence of uniform states at high applied magnetic fields and a circumferential onion state at low applied fields.